Final Fantasy Six
by Demosthenes Tecumseh
Summary: Long ago, the War of the Magi reduced the world to a scorched wasteland, and magic simply ceased to exist. 1000 years have passed... [A novelization of Final Fantasy Six (3 in the USA), containing both the events in the game and some new material.]


Biggs shivered. It was cold. Unnaturally cold, so cold it ate at his flesh and cooled the bones beneath. He shouldn't be here. _No man should have to be here_, he thought, wondering how the people of Narshe managed to live in this godforsaken place year-round. He clutched his binoculars harder, suppressing the urge to keep shaking.  
  
Wedge grumbled something incomprehensible but unmistakably vulgar as he tried in vain to coax his cigarette to stay lit. He threw it off the cliff in disgust. Not even the fire from this machine could keep something burning here.  
  
Biggs smiled. Wedge was nothing if not irritable. There's the town. He pointed at a section of cliff, indistinguishable from the others.  
  
Hard to believe an Esper's been found here, a thousand years after the war of the Magi... The two sat in silence for a long minute as the eerie howling of the wind subsided almost to a whisper.  
  
Biggs put his binoculars away. Do you think it's...still alive? The wind picked up, and he shivered with newfound intensity.  
  
Probably, judging from the urgency of our orders, Wedge said.  
  
Biggs nodded thoughtfully, glancing at his engine readouts. The technicians had assured him Magitek energy would not be affected by temperature, but he had his doubts. He'd brought along a gallon of antifreeze just in case, and was going to feel somewhat stupid if he didn't have to use it.  
  
He looked over his shoulder at the woman. With her flowing emerald hair and piercing green eyes, he might have found her alluring if not for the stories he'd heard. _They must be true_. No normal woman could withstand a storm like this--without so much as _blinking_--in nothing but a leotard. And this woman, this...sorcerer. Why is she here? He looked back at Wedge. I heard she fried _fifty_ of our Magitek armored soldiers in under three minutes.  
  
Not to worry. The slave crown on her head robs her of all conscious thought. He chuckled. She''ll follow orders.  
  
Biggs looked at the headband on her head with unease. It turned his stomach to think about the things it was doing to her mind. No person deserved to be a prisoner even within their own head.  
  
He put such thought aside. She was no person, a monster in both body and spirit, if what he'd heard was accurate. All the men she killed must have had families...what would they think of him, pitying her in this way? He would complete this mission in honor of their memory. We'll approach from the east. He grasped the controls of his armor unit. Move out!  
  
The three of them began a slow march across the snowy plain, and Biggs' thoughts wandered. These machines, these Magitek creations, were incredible. They were surely made of steel, but they moved as though possessing a spirit of their own; they could conjure the elements using barely any fuel at all. Emperor Gesthal had promised a great Second Age of Magic would come, a utopia ruled from the palace of Vector, and Magitek Armor would be the chariots to spread its dominion.  
  
Biggs had always trusted in Gesthal, the man's vision of a peaceful world, but he'd had never believed in the old stories. The tales of the War of the Magi, man almost bringing about his own undoing through a mystical force. But ever since the first time he'd piloted the armor, he'd believed. Its power could not possibly be the work of simple science. It had to be connected to something greater, something _other_.  
  
See those lights? Wedge pointed towards the cliff. The mines.  
  
Biggs snapped back to reality. Intelligence was right for once. Something's going on. He set his armor on autopilot, and it walked smoother than he could possibly hope to guide it on his own. He pulled out his binoculars and scanned the hillside. Nobody should be working in the mines this late, and they're bustling like they've hit gold.  
  
We should expect resistance, then.  
  
Most likely. But here's no reason to fear--we have the finest weapon mankind has ever engineered.  
  
They were drawing close to the town gate now, and Biggs thought he saw one of the sentries look in his direction. They've seen us, he observed calmly.  
  
Wedge looked over his shoulder. Let's put her on point. No sense taking any risks.  
  
Dimly, Biggs hoped Narshe would be stronger than he anticipated. This _witch_ deserved death. He disengaged his autopilot and prepared for battle.  
  
Sure enough, they were waiting for them...but strangely, it was just two young men and their dogs. Brothers, by the looks of them. Perhaps they'd hoped to win glory by killing the invaders on their lonesome. Machine-riding, self important swine! One snarled in anger, whistling a command to his animal. Take this!  
  
Before the two soldiers could react, the girl slammed her fist--no, the machine's fist--down onto the dog. A sickening crunch rent the air as its skull collapsed, and she twisted the armor's fist in a small, circular motion, spraying the dog's blood into the air.  
  
The younger Narshean looked at his brother for guidance.  
  
He decided wisely, and the two ran for their lives.  
  
Shall I? Wedge asked, aligning his sights.  
  
Biggs glared at him, We didn't come here to kill children.  
  
Wedge reluctantly conceded to his superior, glowering as he started forward. Onward, witch!  
  
They made their way into the main plaza of Narshe unhindered, giving Biggs time to admire the city. The architecture was unimpressive, but the city wasn't quite as backward as he had expected--the coal they mined was put to good use, and there were electric street lights on nearly every corner. He assumed the ubiquitous pipes had something to do with an indoor heating system.  
  
Two guards were resting in the square. Apparently word still hadn't gotten around. Imperial Magitek armor? one exclaimed, grabbing his blade.  
  
The other was already on his feet. Not even Narshe's safe anymore...  
  
Wedge was already firing, letting lose a beam of raw heat energy, incinerating the first guard on contact. He didn't even have time to scream.  
  
While his partner let out a war whoop, Biggs charged forward and punched at the remaining soldier. He scowled, he'd missed. Then he looked up from his controls, and realized that he hadn't missed after all. The guard was skewered on the arm of his armor. It was so powerful, he hadn't even felt resistance. He shook the corpse off in revulsion.  
  
In this manner, the trio made their way through the town. Biggs soon turned to hating it. This wasn't combat--it was extermination. When the Empire had fought for control of the south, they'd done it with swords and valor. This was more like squashing bugs.  
  
We must defend the mines! shouted the leader of a squad of the Narshean defenders. This time, they'd brought tamed monsters with them. Huge, exotic creatures with massive fangs covered in shaggy coats of fur, they had two tails--the longer one hanging from their faces. Never had he seen the like.  
  
Wedge grinned. A worthy adversary, at last, he half-laughed, and began charging his more powerful weapons.  
  
A green aura appeared around the girl, crackling and dancing like fire. She was chanting something unintelligible, an incantation of some kind.  
  
W-w-what's she doing? Wedge asked in horror.  
  
They'd told us in the briefing...some new system in the slave crown. It links her innate abilities to the Magitek system. Biggs could only watch in horror. This must be what it does.  
  
The air around the mammoths seemed to warp and twist, indeed almost to turn in onto itself as the girl's incantation grew louder. Then, with a loud cry, the girl shot out twin beams from the claws of her armor. A great abyss opened in the air above the monsters, which were sucked into its starry expanse. Their flesh seemed to boil off as their forms as they twisted and shrank upon entering the vortex. It closed, and they were gone.  
  
The Narsheans stood dumbfounded. When one finally reached for his spear, a beam of pure fire shot from the lens in the front of the girl's armor. His body caught fire, and he fell back into snow, creating a huge pillar of steam. The final man threw down his spear to surrender, but he too was killed, this time by a bolt of electricity that wracked his body, making him twitch and shake even after he was dead.  
  
So this...is Magitek's true power... Biggs almost whispered, mechanically following the witch's lead as she pressed on.  
  
They were out of the town now, and on the mining path cut into the hill's edge. The girl was following a definite path, her steps probably following a map burned into the crown's memory. She stopped before a crude barricade of wooden poles and planks, trying to give the appearance of an abandoned shaft.  
  
I'll handle this, Biggs said, Stand back! He charged ahead of the group, ramming the elbow of his armor into the center of the barricade. It shattered, its pieces flying across the entrance of the shaft. A small fragment of wood grazed the edge of the sorceress' face, but she didn't even flinch. Whether to blame her abilities or the crown, Biggs didn't know.  
  
He stood back and allowed her to lead them down the shaft, which was surprisingly short. At the end stood a guard, different than the others. His uniform was unique, and he carried his spear with a competency that can only be gained through experience. He pointed it at the girl's head. We won't hand over the Esper! He declared, and stepped aside. Whelk! Get them!  
  
Wedge wondered aloud, and looked up as a low rumble shook the cave. It built to a shriek that shook debris from the ceiling, and a massive creature emerged from the aperture at the cave's end.  
  
Biggs thought he was an expert on monsters, but he'd encountered two he'd never even seen in books in one day. Once the empire conquered this continent, he'd have to go on a hunting expedition and learn all about the creatures here.  
  
This was akin to a huge snail, it's shell resembling the conches on the beaches of the southern shores. It possessed none of the disadvantages of a snail, though, and charged forward with an unearthly speed.  
  
Damn hicks sending monsters to do their dirty work! Wedge yelled, and fired a blast of electricity at their foe. He sustained the beam for several seconds, but it seemed to have no effect.  
  
Wedge, you fool! Biggs growled, and raised his machine's arm to protect himself.  
All of the electricity from Wedge's attack was reflected back in a single blast that hit all three of them, overloading the protective shields in the armor that was supposed to keep them safe from magical attacks. Even the girl let out a gasp, her long hair frizzing on its ends.  
  
I see that won't work against it, Wedge scowled, So how about we put it on ice? He prepared to engage another of his weapons.  
  
Hold it! Biggs cried desperately, Think back to our briefing.  
  
What _about_ it? Wedge yelled impatiently.  
  
Don't you recall hearing about that monster that eats energy...  
  
And stores it in its shell! Wedge finished, suddenly remembering.  
  
Right! So whatever you do, don't attack the shell! Biggs looked at the girl. She was the only one equipped with concussive weaponry.   
  
Coolly, she launched a series of missiles at Whelk's head, each leaving a sizable dent in his flesh. It opened its mouth to scream again, and she fired a final missile--this one traveling down its throat and detonating inside its head. The monster's face exploded, leaving a residue of mucus and ichor on the ground.  
  
Where'd that bastard go? Wedge demanded, referring to the commander.  
  
It's of no consequence. Forward! Biggs kicked the shell of Whelk aside, its corpse surprisingly light.  
  
The next room didn't have any heating. It's walls were covered in ice, tinged a deep blue, polished so fine that the reflection of their Magitek armor covered the entire chamber.  
  
In the center, half-excavated from the ground, was the frozen Esper. It had the shape of a bird, its wings outstretched as if it had been frozen in mid-flight. Even through the ice, its feathers sparkled brilliantly in a wide range of colors, and its beak glimmered.  
  
Biggs observed, as if to validate the fact for himself, Is the frozen Esper.  
  
Unbidden, the girl stepped towards it. Her face was a constantly-changing cacophony of expressions, one moment smiling, the next she looked as if she could scream.  
  
The two Imperial soldiers exchanged a look. Had she overcome the crown?  
Biggs realized that the Esper was beginning to shine. With every step she took, the glow rose in intensity.  
  
Wedge was oblivious. What's the matter? he called out to her. Do you know something we don't?  
  
The light suddenly intensified, almost blinding them as it reflected off of the cave's ice walls.  
  
Wedge was aghast. Where's that light _coming_ from? He looked down. His body was turning transparent from his feet upward. It was slowly rising, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. He let out a deafening scream as he disappeared along with his armor in a flash of light.  
  
Biggs looked about in terror. W-Wedge? Where are you? He felt as though his insides were catching on fire...like his body could burst. He said weakly as he perished in another flash.  
  
The girl stood transfixed in wonder. This light, so warm, so calming...what was it? She felt all the amazement of a child who has just entered the world. Until now, as long as she could remember, her life had been a simple stream of actions and reactions, commands and the ever-present need to _obey._ Now, nothing was telling her what to do. This light...it demanded nothing from her. It simply _was.  
_  
Then a bolt of raw magical power shot out from the Esper and hit her directly in the chest. She felt betrayed. It was just another punishment, but worse than the others because it had pretended to be nice to her. She felt a primal anger stir within her, and began to burn the air around her with the intensity of her inner power, awakening in a way it hadn't for as long as she could remember.  
  
The armor melted and dissolved beneath her, but she remained suspended in the air as she combated the power of the frozen bird. For a moment, she thought she might have hope to succeed, but it was simply too great a force for her to resist. The power of the Esper washed over her, searching in her innermost self for feelings and desires she'd never known she'd had. What where they, that this creature wanted to partake of so badly?  
  
She could not remember. She'd simply obeyed for too long. Then, the power was gone from her, and her consciousness went with it.


End file.
